DeMar DeRozan Clarifies Relationship With Drake Following Cameo In Kendrick Lamar Video

DeMar DeRozan has clarified where he stands with Drake after making an appearance in the music video for Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” diss track aimed at the Canadian superstar.

While the NBA star is a Los Angeles native like K.Dot, he established a relationship with Drake in the mid 2010s when he played for the Toronto Raptors for several years. Additionally, they even appeared together on the cover of Slam Magazine’s “6 Gods” issue in 2016.

However, many began to question the status of their relationship when the athlete appeared on stage at the Compton rapper’s ‘Pop Out’ show in LA last month. Weeks later, he even appeared in the aforementioned video.

During a new conversation with Fox40 Sports‘ Sean Cunningham published on Tuesday (July 9), DeRozan explained that he even though he will always have love for the OVO rapper, Kendrick is like family to him.

“Love Drake. We always could play him [here at the Sacramento Kings’ arena],” he said, referring to the team he currently plays for. “Kendrick been a friend of mine — damn near family — for a long time, for a while. We from the same city, grew up damn near in the same neighborhood. So it’s always been there. It hasn’t always been publicized, but that’s basically family.”

Asked DeMar DeRozan about his appearance in Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" video and if that signaled the end of playing Drake inside Golden 1 Center. pic.twitter.com/0cRtBImfQm

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) July 9, 2024

Kendrick Lamar released the highly anticipated video for his chart-topping diss song “Not Like Us” on the 4th of July, and it features several Easter eggs aimed at his rival.

Drake’s OVO logo served as ammo for K.Dot as the visual features him busting an owl-shaped piñata wide open with a broom handle and staring menacingly at an owl locked in a cage.

Another scene shows him dancing to the Mustard-produced banger with his fiancée Whitney Alford and their two children, who were dragged into the feud by Drake.

In an even subtler dig at Drizzy, the video is co-directed by and includes a cameo from Kendrick’s longtime manager Dave Free, who was accused of possibly fathering of one of his pgLang partner’s kids during the back-and-forth between both titans earlier this year.

Following the video’s release, Drake found himself on the receiving end of yet more ridicule from Kendrick Lamar fans when he appeared at Michael Rubin’s annual Fourth of July White Party in the Hamptons.

Footage from the party shows Drizzy chatting with GloRilla and even jumping on the microphone to perform hits like “Sticky” and “Wants and Needs” with Lil Baby.

However, one photo in particular that has generated tons of attention as it shows the 37-year-old rapper looking every bit his age while hanging out with Rubin — according to fans, at least.

The photo, shared on Instagram by the billionaire host, led to a flood of jokes about Drake’s appearance, many of which referenced his recent feud with Kendrick Lamar.

“Drake aged like 20 years since the beef,” one person joked, while another wrote: “Drake look like he been through the ringer.”

A third person asked: “Is it me or buddy looking stressed out [crying face emoji].”